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FOSS 20/21st Feb 2015

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55013

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Following a fairly miserable couple of weeks in which not one, but two of my relatives died (one a cousin who died suddenly at the age of 42) my wife felt that, for the sake of my mental health, I should have a couple of days away on the trains.

Never one to turn down such an offer I decided to head South and eventually settled on a Freedom of Severn and Solent.
Although it was a 3 day in 7 rover I would only be doing two days (Friday & Saturday) as her compassion has limits :)

The short notice meant that I didn’t really have much time to plan, so I decided to drive to Bristol Parkway and see what happened.
I managed to book a cheap room at a Travelodge at Chippenham services on the M4 and that was the limit of my forward planning.

I was up and out at 5 AM, with the intention of getting to Parkway at around 9.
Unfortunately, there was a massive traffic jam on the M6 near Birmingham due to a broken down vehicle and I didn’t make it until 10.

Having no real idea what I was going to do meant that I just wondered onto the station and see what produced.
The first thing in was a required Voyager, 221133, and so I took this to Temple Meads.
Of course, I was hoping to get stuff other than xc as I can get them at home, but always take your winners is my motto.

Having recently started to record HSTs I spotted two requirements waiting to go to London, one each on consecutive services.
I did 43150 and winner 43035 to Bath Spa and half an hour later it was required 43170 and 43191 on to Chippenham.

The latter leaving Chippenham:
HST 43191_20015.02.20_Chippenham by philwood55013, on Flickr

Although I don’t particularly “chase” stations, I do keep a record of which ones I’ve visited and Chippenham was new.
From there it was dud pair 43092 & 43165 back to Bath Spa.

Next up was winner 158951.
As I like to travel in each individual coach of a DMU I did 52751 to Bristol and then changed to 57764 to Filton Abbey Wood.
150234 was next, back to Temple Meads, I had travelled in 52234 before, so it was 57234 for me, another one cleared.

Next up was a unit that I had done in the days before I kept records of such things, so it was dud but unrecorded, so it was nice to get a firm move in for it, this was 150244 (in 52244).
I did this to Filton again but next up was a disappointment, it was one of only three 158/9s that I had cleared prior to this move, 158960.
I sat in 52247, although it didn’t really matter.

Back at Bristol required 150247 was sat, locked, at platform 7.
I don’t know what it is about Temple Meads, but every time I visit there seems to be a farce and here was today’s.
The information screen showed the next departure from platform 7 being to Weymouth in ten minutes.
People congregated around the doors of 150247 and then there was an announcement.
A platform alteration.
The Weymouth service would depart from platform 5.
A 150/1, with “Weymouth” showing on the front pulled in, people got off but it was still wedged.
As passengers started to board, there was another platform change announced.
The Weymouth would go from 7 after all.
Everyone looked puzzled.
The staff didn’t know what was happening any more than the passengers did.
The driver and guard showed up and went to 150247.
The doors were opened and people began running across from the 150/1.
There was a general air of panic as nobody seemed to know if they were on the right train or not.
There had, according to the passengers who had been on the 150/1, been no announcement about a change of set.
Many had just taken a chance.
Some remained on the 150/1!

I didn’t care where it was going, so wasn’t too flustered, but it was only after departure that the guard announced it was indeed for Weymouth and everyone else relaxed.
So 150247 (52247) scooped in, I bailed at Bath.

Time was marching on and it was getting close to evening rush hour.
I didn’t fancy being around Temple Meads when it got really busy and besides, other than nipping to Chippenham, I hadn’t done anything that I couldn’t do on a Freedom Travelpass, so was hardly getting good value from my ticket.
I headed back to Parkway, first on 43160 and 43182 and then 158766 (52766 – cleared).
My plan was to do a HST to Newport for one back, getting a bit of Severn Tunnel thrash in :)
It started well enough with 43183 and 43140 over to Wales.
I then hung around Newport for a bit, observing the goings on and letting the rush hour punters get out of the way.
Unfortunately (at the time, not so in retrospect) when my planned HST arrived it was formed of 43191 and 43170, unrequired for the day!
Oddly this set had reversed formation since I had done it to Chippenham earlier.
I had no intention of doing this set again, but luckily I had an alternative in the shape of 158950.
I needed one vehicle from this unit and so I headed straight for 57751 and cleared the set as soon as we set off towards Bristol.

It was now getting late as I had to get some supplies and drive to my Travelodge, so it was a case of the first thing to Parkway.
That was a xc HST, with 43357 leading.
I didn’t get the rear one until after bailing at Parkway.
I needed just one of the possible power cars, 43366.
I was delighted, therefore, when it was the said 43366 that proved to have been doing half the work on the run from Temple Meads.
Hellfire*

I reached my dwelling for the night at around 9 o’clock and was quickly asleep.

*I put this in to cause agitation amongst those that think the word is used by idiots :)

Day 2.

Having posted my EMU requirements on this forum at the start of the year I faced worldwide ridicule for my paltry numbers (I may exaggerate slightly) and so I decided to spend today getting some third rail units in the book.

I left the M4 services at just after 7 and drove to that well known bastion of third rail, Westbury.

I intended to catch one of the three coach 158s from there but arrived two minutes after one had left.
This gave me an hour to kill, so I jumped aboard 150234 (dud for the move) and headed to Trowbridge, a required station.
I had a short wait there and then an unexpected winner in the shape of 158887 (57781) arrived to whisk me back to Westbury (I didn’t even know that SWT served Westbury, but there you go).
Of course, being a former Trans-Pennine unit (as 158781), I may well have had it in the days when my recording was pretty dismal.

From Westbury it was back to the original plan and I did 52745 of unit 158953 to Southampton.
Now I could begin getting those EMUs in the book.

I had done a handful of 444s a few years ago on holiday, but had never gone out of my way for them, now it was time to put that right.

In addition to the units I also fancied having a run to Lymington Pier as I’d never done the famous branch and felt I had been missing out.
I took 444026 (winner – as was just about everything else I had from here on in) to Brockenhurst for 450037 out and back.

Proof that I went to Lymington Pier and all I got was this lousy photo:
EMU 450037_2015.02.21_Lymington Pier by philwood55013, on Flickr

Having got the branch out of the way I could now concentrate on increasing my numbers so I’m no longer a public laughing stock (it might actually take more than that).

At Brockenhurst, 444044 came storming through, a winner for sight and one of my last three.
Now I need the “bookends” 444001 and 444045.

The next haulage was a nine car set, made up of 444006 and 450551, to Southampton.
Brockenhurst seems like a nice place to change trains and so it was back to there I went on 444042.
Then it was on to 450016 to retrace my steps.

I fancied somewhere different now and so took 444039 to Totton, coming back on 444007.

444007 at Southampton:
EMU 444007_2015.02.21_Southampton by philwood55013, on Flickr

My mobile phone was unable to connect to the internet and I had no paper timetables, so I was winging it a bit, just seeing where I ended up.
This generally worked OK, but I did have a bit of a fester with my next move.
Required 158888 came in on a Salisbury service and I jumped aboard (in 52802).
I decided to bail at Redbridge as this was still on the mainline to Weymouth and must have a pretty decent service, mustn’t it?
Nope.
It has one train an hour and the one towards Southampton had gone ten minutes before I got there. Bah.

The throng of people at Redbridge:
DMU 158888_2015.02.21_1_Redbridge by philwood55013, on Flickr

I had forty five minutes kicking my heals and thinking of all the 444s I was missing (I know there were a few, they hurtled past me).
I did see 70014 arriving at the Freightliner terminal, though, so that was something of interest.

70014_2015.02.21_Redbridge by philwood55013, on Flickr

Eventually 158884 arrived and I sat in coach 57772, thus clearing this unit.

Once back at Southampton I needed to get some more 444s and so was pleased when winning pair 444010 and 444032 arrived on a Weymouth service.
I took these to Brockenhurst and then crossed over for 444043 on the Poole stopper that was waiting for the express to pass.
This was done to Bournmouth and then it was time to start heading home.

444032 had come off the rear of the previous Weymouth service and was now in position in the platform for the next up train.
444019 arrived and coupled up to it in the time honoured fashion and I was off back to Southampton.
Next up was a winner from earlier in the day, 158888, which I took to Salisbury, sat in coach 57802 and clearing the unit.
The last train of the move was one of the previous day’s winners, 158951 and, once again I sat in the only required coach and cleared the whole unit.
I bailed at Westbury and set off on the long drive home, getting back about four hours later at around 10.30 PM.

All in all, a very nice move and one that I would like to repeat in the future.
 
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Techniquest

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Sorry to hear about your recent losses :( Good of your wife to let you have a rail break :)

Loved the humour (things like "the bastion of third rail, Westbury" and "the throng of people at Redbridge" nearly had my spitting my coffee out with laughing) you used in this trip report, exactly the sort I enjoy :D

Jealous of 158884, my last SWT DMU to get. I'm hoping to change that later this year on the proposed FoSS bash, whenever I can do it. Also jealous of 158960, my last FGW 158 to get, again I'm hoping to change that this year.

Good motto about getting winners in there, after all you don't know if you'll get another chance to get it in the book.

Glad you enjoyed your trip down south, shame you couldn't have all 3 days though!
 

Kite159

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I would guess 158887 was the SWT unit FGW had hired in for the day (long term lease). SWT serves up to Bristol with a Waterloo service, normally a 159 which attaches at Salisbury with a unit from Exeter.

Good motto with those voyagers as they can appear anywhere on the network so worth trying to score when you can.

Did you enjoy Redbridge (hants)? The figure of 6 normally passes each other at Southampton so you can do those two stations heading east then west without much of a wait.
 

dorsetman

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The 444s have free WiFi so you should have been able to get the train times on your mobile.
 

PHILIPE

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Caerphilly
I would guess 158887 was the SWT unit FGW had hired in for the day (long term lease). SWT serves up to Bristol with a Waterloo service, normally a 159 which attaches at Salisbury with a unit from Exeter.

Good motto with those voyagers as they can appear anywhere on the network so worth trying to score when you can.

Did you enjoy Redbridge (hants)? The figure of 6 normally passes each other at Southampton so you can do those two stations heading east then west without much of a wait.

4 SWT services to Bristol a day.
 

55013

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Joined
4 Sep 2005
Messages
1,577
Location
Yorkshire
Sorry to hear about your recent losses :( Good of your wife to let you have a rail break :)

Thanks. Yeah, I can't complain. I've got a good one :)

Good motto about getting winners in there, after all you don't know if you'll get another chance to get it in the book.

Glad you enjoyed your trip down south, shame you couldn't have all 3 days though!

I've learnt my lesson the hard way, saying "I'll get that later", only to see what I could have won going for scrap some time later.
3 days would have been nice. Maybe next time - and I'll know what I'm doing then!

I would guess 158887 was the SWT unit FGW had hired in for the day (long term lease).

Did you enjoy Redbridge (hants)? The figure of 6 normally passes each other at Southampton so you can do those two stations heading east then west without much of a wait.

I've had a look on Realtimetrains and 158887 was indeed a FGW hire in, the 0749 Bristol - Westbury.

I'll go on record and say that Redbridge is not my favourite place to visit. It could have been worse, though :)


The 444s have free WiFi so you should have been able to get the train times on your mobile.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm down that way.
In this case it wouldn't have made a difference as I didn't know I would be doing that train until the winning 158 pulled into the platform at Southampton, so had no time to prepare. Mind you, getting on a service when you don't know where you're going takes me back to the old days :)

Very sorry about your losses :(

A great report, in an area i'm yet to visit :)

Again, thanks.
 

Kristofferson

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Joined
23 Nov 2012
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1,132
Good to see a modern-day trip from you (I still need to read your other two 2000/2001 trip reports!) even if the reason for taking the trip was unfortunate. The photos are a nice bit of "train porn"! Although I am sick of looking at Desiros, the HST made up for it :D

Again, for what it's worth from a relative forum unknown, sorry for your loss :(
 

55013

Established Member
Joined
4 Sep 2005
Messages
1,577
Location
Yorkshire
Good to see a modern-day trip from you (I still need to read your other two 2000/2001 trip reports!) even if the reason for taking the trip was unfortunate. The photos are a nice bit of "train porn"! Although I am sick of looking at Desiros, the HST made up for it :D

Cheers.
I've not had much experience of 444s, but I have to say I'm a fan.
The windows, which seem bigger than on other stock, and the glass panels at the end of the coaches let in a lot of light which makes the whole place seem nice and bright, not like the dingy Northern stuff I'm used to.
Also, I think it makes the carriage seem wider for some reason.
Obviously an optical illusion, but it still makes the train a pleasant traveling environment.

Again, for what it's worth from a relative forum unknown, sorry for your loss :(

Thanks. Bad news, obviously, but it has made me even more determind to enjoy life.
 
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